Reputation
by DragoNorgard
Summary: It is Draco Malfoy's seventh year at Hogwarts. His reputation is ruined, but will it get any better when he takes an interest in an almost equally unpopular sixth-year Ravenclaw?
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

* * *

Draco Malfoy hurried down to the great hall. He was in his seventh year, if only just. There had been a few people who didn't fancy a death eater's son coming back to Hogwarts, but his salvation through Snape had overruled the arguments.

He was going to pass his N.E.W.T's, get a secure job in the ministry and forget all about this hell-hole.

At least, he hoped so.

"Hey Malfoy, killed any innocents lately?" Ron Weasley jeered as he entered the hall. Draco didn't bother to look up. The Slytherins hated him, as did the Gryffindors, and he despised himself for ending up in this position.

"Yeah, murdered any muggles?"

Draco passed the Ravenclaw table, glad that at least one house didn't express their hate so loudly. Sitting down near the end of the Slytherin table, which was a little emptier now Vincent, Gregory, and a handful of others had been expelled. Helping himself to roast potatoes, he ignored the occasional jibes that came his way, blocking them out and concentrating entirely on his plate.

A skinny arm reached over his shoulder and grabbed a platter of carrots from the table.

"What the-"

"Sorry, but we've completely run out. Luna Lovegood stole half of them to feed to her Crumble Horned Snorkack, or whatever thing she's currently keeping in her imagination. I can't believe she's in Ravenclaw, of all places, can you? She's totally nuts, I mean, it's like, for example, she-"

"Well, enjoy your carrots." Draco said, turning back to his now rather cold potatoes.

"You're Draco Malfoy, aren't you? Seamus Finnegan says you feed children's tortured souls to the Dark Lord, but I hardly believe him, it's not like you'd be allowed into Hogwarts if you were following him, would you?"

Draco frowned. He hadn't talked much to anyone since he got off the Hogwarts express. Well, Pansy had talked to him, but he hadn't really talked back, and she'd given up after that.

"Excuse me, do I know you?" He asked, turning to the smiling, dark-haired girl.

"Well, I don't suppose I've ever talked to you much, though I am in your year. I'm Parvati's sister, you know, Parvati Patil. She's in your year you know. I am too, she's my twin."

"Patil…Pam, was it?" Patil abandoned the plate of carrots and sat down on the bench next to him.

"No! I'm Padma, nice to meet you. No need to introduce yourself, I know you're called Draco Malfoy. I sometimes wish wasn't in Ravenclaw, lovely people, very intelligent, but they don't seem to chat much, you know what I mean?"

"Mmm." Draco said noncommittally, finished his potatoes at long last and starting on a mound of boiled vegetables. "Who's Luna Lovegood?"

"Oh, she's in the year bellow, with Sophie Green. Sophie doesn't like her of course, but then again, not many people do. I think they're all a bit scared of her, it makes sense to me. But then again, rumour has it-"

"Who's Sophie Green?"

"Oh, Sophie's really nice, her brother was in Slytherin though. They're both muggle born. They have black hair…Of course, Will's left now, he's got some job in Finland, don't know what. Anyway, Ginny Weasley says that-" This time, it wasn't Draco who interrupted Padma, but her twin, who was standing right behind Draco. They certainly weren't identical, but it was easy to tell they were related.

"Padma, I've got news."

"Coming, Pav. Anyway, nice to talk with you, but I have to go." The girls walked off, leaving a slightly confused Draco sitting gazing at the abandoned plate of carrots. At least tomorrow it would be Saturday.

* * *

The next day, Luna Lovegood sat cross legged on her four poster bed. She was writing a poem in multi coloured ink, but it wasn't coming out very well. She absentmindedly chewed the end of her quill, then screwed up her face in disgust and ran to the nearest girls bathroom.

Multi coloured ink did _not _taste at all nice. Such a shame she'd run out of edible ink. Never mind. Rinsing out her mouth, Luna tossed the scrap of parchment in the bin and gave up on writing poems for the time being. Instead she pulled out a crystal ball and gazed intently into it, ignoring strands of pale hair that fell into her face. Nothing happened.

Luna scowled. It was _not _going to be a good weekend, if it had started like this.

* * *

On Saturday morning, Draco sat in the library. He had finished all his homework except an annoying assignment from Hagrid, which included looking after a fire salamander. He still had to feed it.

Even if he was convinced that the evil sucker would toast him.

He got up and moved to the exit.

"Hey Malfoy, hiding in the library again?" Potter drawled.

Draco scowled. It was _not_ going to be a good weekend, if it had started like this.

A/N: What do you think? I know it's short, but I am planning on making the next chapters longer.

DragoNorgard


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

A/N: Thank you very much if you reviewed, your opinions are much appreciated. :)

* * *

It was a bright saturday morning, and many students were sprawled comfortably on the school grounds, especially near the lake. Harry Potter lay grinning on its banks, along wtih his best friends Ron and Hermione, feeling happy and content and peaceful. He was just about to close his eyes and doze in the sunshine, when Ron nudged him. 

"What?"

"Look, it's Malfoy!" Ron hissed.

"So it is..." Harry's grin grew wider at the prospect of Malfoy baiting. It was certainly hilarious, he told himself, and Malfoy deserved it.

"Hey Malfoy-"

* * *

Draco noticed Harry just before he tripped over him. It gave him just enough time to spit out a frenzied oath before his face hit hard ground and Harry leapt to his feet. 

"Oh-bloodySTUPIDhelphelpohmygodohmygodohmygodohmy-" Draco spluttered, while trying to leap to his feet so he could escape. As he lurched to his feet, dazed, Ron and Harry simultainously drew their wands. Malfoy was half-way through wondering whether they had been practising synchrosnised wand-drawing, before Ron shouted:

"_Impedimenta!_" Draco was knocked off his feet, falling backwards ten feet-

Right into the lake.

Ron grinned and lay back down to watch Draco stuggling in the water. He was quite far in.

"Reckon he can swim?" Harry asked.

"No idea." Ron replied lazily, watching with interest. More people were flocking to the banks, to see what was happening.

Draco surfaced, coughing, and grabbed the nearest object. It was, luckily, a sturdy-looking log, which he gripped tightly with white fingers. His hair clung to his face, completely de-gelled.

"Bloody lake, bloody students bloody!-" He intoned, outraged, before a wave from the ripple he had made falling in hit him with considerable force and knocked him under. The water was freezing, contrary the the warmth of the day above, and he struggled to find the log.

His lungs were bursting, and then he saw something large moving in the water.

The giant squid.

Swimming upwards franitcally, he broke the surface screaming. Grabbing his log, and another, less reliable looking bit of driftwood, he hauled himself up, so that most of his body was out of the water. Laughter could be heard from the closest bank. He'd probably be pushed off if he tried to get back onto land _that _way.

"This is _not _a good day."

And, kicking and wriggling, he began to traverse the waters to the far bank.

* * *

Luna Lovegood, having discovered that the next official Hogsmede visit would be in three weeks time, was trying to attune her mind with nature. The results, she had been assured, were worthwhile, and so she found herself sitting crosslegged by the lake. 

Unfortunately, nothing seemed to be happening, so she gave up and sprawled on her back. She was staring at the sky, which was trying to hide behind the clouds, when a wet, frantic figure splashed out of the lake, saw her, and splashed back in.

"Hello?"

"Nice day!" Came a sarcastic voice, which belonged to the wet figure. Luna sat up and saw that it was treading water, and glancing between her and a large, dark shape in the water.

"What are you?" Luna asked, staring at it. It was, apart from being wet and frantic, human-shaped, only with no eyes. Further looking proved that the eyes had been hidden behind a thickly plastered layer of fringe.

"-!" The thing bobbed beneath the surface. After a few seconds, Luna could make out it's shape, moving away from her, along the side of the lake.

"Well, I'm not having any of _that_!" Luna exclaimed. This could very well be a rare and previously undiscovered species. Standing carefully, she crept along the side of the lake just behind and to one side of the thing, which was leaving a trail of bubbles behind it.

When it surfaced, she lunged, and realised what it really was halfway through the air.

She then fell in with a loud splash.

* * *

Draco realised that the girl had fallen in when he heard the splash, and surfaced, coughing. 

"Go away!" He whined, and then realised that he sounded like a petty child. Oh, well.

"What d'you mean? You're between me and the bank, and I'm not going any deeper!"

"Well, I'll just get up and go, and when I say you can get out." Draco reasoned, backing away.

"Why can't _I _go first? I am a lady, and of course I'm the injured party!" Luna yelled at him. Draco was outraged.

"You? The bloody injured stupid party? I fell in the lake!"

"So did I!"

"Bet _you _weren't chased by the Giant Squid!"

"I will be, if I hang stay here much longer!"

"I was in fear of my bloody life!"

"You hurt my feelings!"

"I-" Draco paused, aware of an end to his current sufferings, or at least the ones he could think of. In the end, he managed with: "-don't care!"

"Well I do!" Luna was annoyed, this was not going well. "Look, you," she ground out, advancing towards Draco, "I am not in a good mood this morning. In fact, I'm in a very bad one. The Quibbler isn't selling, my creative genius is all wrung out, I've had disappointments by the dozen, including you, and now, _now, _I've been dunked in the lake and I am soaked!" By the end of her speech, Luna was an arms length away from Draco, and Draco was feeling slightly puzzled.

"How did I disappoint you?"

"If you must know," She snapped, "I thought you were a rare and previously undiscovered type of water mammal, perhaps related to a merman." Then, in the most aloof manner possible, she doggy paddled past him and clambered onto the bank. Draco immediately turned and followed her, flopping down on the bank where Luna had sat a few moments before.

Luna Lovegood in the vicinity or not, he needed a rest.

"I don't think I'll ever be dry again," he moaned.

Luna glared at him.

"I think you will, in time." She told him, looking at him with her head cocked on one side.

"Oh, shut up!" Malfoy snapped, glowering. Luna considered him for a moment before wandering off, leaving Draco on his own.

* * *

At lunchtime, Luna made her way to the great hall to have lunch. She perched at the very end of one of the benches and carefully selcted seventeen carrot sticks, a cress and mayonaise sandwich, a cup of water, three and half crisps, one sausage roll, a strawberry yoghurt and five baby tomatoes. She then proceded to eat everything except the carrot sticks, which she wrapped up in cling film and put in her bag. 

After that she got up and walked off towards the entance hall, heading for the grounds.

* * *

Draco Malfoy spent his lunch hour outside, eating a submarine roll and a packet of hula hoops in the safety of the shadowy corner behind greenhouse three. When he had finished, he sat quietly for a while, pondering what to do. 

He could, of course, stay where he was. Unfortunately, he was getting bored, and there was always the odd chance he would be discovered. The other options would be to: a) find somewhere else to hide, or b) do his homework.

Plan A definitely seemed like a good option, but it would propably be best to get that stupid salamander fed. He needed the marks he got in Care of Magical Creatures.

"Plan B it is, then."


End file.
